Vacuum fuel-feeding apparatus



H. A. MILLER El* AL VACUUM FUEL FEEDING APPARATUS Filed Feb; l1, 1924 Patented Feb. 23, 1926.

l unl'rizo stares PATEN'i QFFICE.

A. MILLER AND ROBERT H. RHOADES, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNORS TO VACO MANUFACTURING CORPORATON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A COREORATION OF t DELAWARE.

Application lefl February 11, 1924. Serial No. 692,085.

To all 'whom t may concern:

' Be it known that we, HENRY A. liIrLLnr. and ROBERT H. RHoADEs, citizens of the United States, residing at New York, in the county `of New York and State of New York, have invented a `certain new and useful improvement in Vacuum Fuel-Feeding Apparatus, ofwhich the following is a full, clearpand exact description.

This invention is in the nat-ure of an improvement `on the invention forming the subject ofPatent No. 1,384,724 dated July 12th, i921.

The object of the invention is to improve and simplify the construction and operation of the 4'apparatus and measurably increase its efficiency.

In the patent, tthe invention is specifically shown as having the vacuum chamber and the liquid Jfeeding chamber connected by a valvular iby-pass located partly outside the apparatus, whereas in the present invention a substitute for the by-pass, in the lform or a'check valve, is placed between the inner and outer chambers and concealed therein, thereby vatording protection to the same, and .decreasing` the costei1 the apparatus.

Again, in the patent the air valve attached `to the communicating tube on the diaphragm isfmade rigid, whereas in the present invention' this valve rests on a spring weaker than the diaphragm.V

Furthermore, in the patent, manufacturing practice has shown that the diaphragms vary in resiliency, and the air` valve construction in ythis rpresent invention otisets such variation, and in addition keeps the air valve tightly closed when the diaphragm sags slightly before operating.

In the patent no provision has been made iorobstructing the flow or splash of gasoline into and through the holes situated at the top oi the communicating tube, eX- oepting the form and arrangement oi the liquid.V inlet tube, whereas in the present invention we have `placed a conically shaped baffle -on 4the communicating tube below the holes therein to obstruct such iow or splash of'igasoline. VIt is to be noted that this conieally shaped battle may bel made of suiiicient weight to materially eeet 'and control the operation'of the diaphragm.

"In the present invention to further prevent the low of gasoline in and through the holes in the communicating tube, that part of the `connnunieating tube containing the holes is housed in a tubular structure erected on the top oi the apparatus.

In the patent the top cap sealing the apparatus is constructed in one piece, whereas in the present improvement there is a cap to seal the inner chamber air tight and an additional cap to finish oli and close the outer chamber.

in the patent. the by-pass between the vacuum chamber and the liquid feeding chamber is operated by gravity flow, whereas in the present improvement the check valve between the vacuum chamber and the liquid feeding chamber is operated by hydrostatic pressure rather than by gravity.

7e show an alternative construction to this hydrostatically controlled valve, with the valve arranged in a horizontal plane rather than fa vertical plane.

In the accompanying drawings iilustrating the invention, in the several iigures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure l is a longitudinal vertical section. Fig. 2 is a section showing the alternative construction above referred to.

l is the outer shell, preferably cylindrical, provided with a cap piece 2, and a base `piece 3. 4 is an inner shell, preferably cylindrical, arranged within the outer shell, and provided with a cap piece The hase piece 3 is provided with a head 6, bolted or 'otherwise secured to it in an air tight manthe inner shell or Cylinder 4, and it is pro vided with a nipple ii. by which the apparatus may be connected with a liquid supply, suoli as a gasoline tank, and it is also provided with an air inlet 9, which opens into the inner shell. The cap piece 2 is provided with a vent 10 `which opens into the space between the outer and inner shells.

The inner shell 4 vforms the vacuum or receiving chamber ll, which is divided by the diaphragm into upper and lower sections, and the space between the inner and outer cylinders forms the liquid Afeeding or delivery chamber 12.

The base 3, is provided with a liquid outlet 13, which may be connected with a carburetor.

The head 6 is provided with a nipple 14, which may be connected with an engine or other source of suction, andopposite this nipple is a communicating tube 15 connecting the upper and lower sections of the` vacuum chamber 11 and fixed to and -moving' with the diaphragm. v

16 is a casting or other support suitably fixed to the shell 4 of the vacuum chamber' l1 and having' a check or flap valve. 17 openinginto the liquid feeding chamber 12, that is to say, affording communication between the inner and outer chambers.

The tube 15 extends up into a cylindrical housing 18, mounted on the Cap 5 and is therein provided with a needle valve'V 19, resting on a spring 20 and cooperating'with the air inlet Y VThe upper part of the tube 15, containing the needle valve Y19, and spring 2O being housed in the housing 18, the needle valve 19'is guided into the air inlet 9. This needle valve serves to open and close said air inlet 9 as the diaphragm 7 moves downwardly and upwardly. To further stay, guide and retain the needle valve 19 it may be arranged `in a cap 21 fastened to the upper end Vof the tube 15.

. TheY tube 15 at its upper end is provided with one or more lateral openings 22, and the housing v18 prevents splash from or flow of the incoming liquid from entering said openings and as a further protection a ilaring or conical baille plate 23 is'tiXed tothe communicating tube 15 at a suitable point under the lateral openings and preferably adjacent to the opening of the liquid inlet 8 within the shell 4. Y The working surface of the diaphragm may be relatively almost twice as great as the diameter of the inner shell 4e.

llhe lowest part of the Lipper section of the vacuum chamber as well as all of the lower section are lower than the bottom of the liquid feeding chamber.

As shown in Fig. 2 the check valve or lia-p valve 17 may be arranged in the base 3 instead of the shell Ll, and any number of such valvesmay be used.

rl'he feeding chamber 12 fills from the bottom, the liquid being forced into said chamber from the vacuum chamber through the `check valve 17 by hydrostatic pressure, in-

stead of flowing downward by gravity as in the patent referred to. When the suction is out ,off and the vacuum chamber has a column of liquid higher than the level of liquid in the feeding chamber, then by hydrostatic pressure the levels are equalized, or substantially so, by the iiow of liquid through the valve 17, from' the inner chamber into the outer chamber. The outer chamber holds a considerably greater weight of liquid than the inner, kyet the valve 17 opens and the outflow from the inner chamber to the outer chamber starts when the yheight or level of liquid in the inner chamclosed, wherein a suction valve and an atinospheric valve are alternately opened and closed.

The tube 15 has in its upper end, a block 24 from which depends a rod 25 terminating in a needle valve 26 which works in the nipple 14 to open said nipple whenthe diaphragm is normal and to close it when the diaphragm is depressed, as in the patent referred to.

The operation will be understood from the f foregoing, but it may be well to repeat and to do so in connection with a specific appa# ratus. To this end, let it be supposed that the apparatus isto be used in an automobile er other-motor vehicle or motor apparatus using liquid fuel.v The nipple 8 will be connected with the source of liquid supply, the

nipple 14 willbe connected with the engine, and the nipple 13 will'be connected with the carburetor. Liquid fuel being admitted into the Iinner cylinder, will accumulate Vuntil the pressure forcesl the diaphragm 7 downwardly, closing the suction valve and opening the air valve, thus equalizing the atmospheric conditions in the inner and outer chambers, whereupon the pressure of liquid will force the check valve open and cause the liquid to rise into the outer chamber until the levels`in beth chambers are substantially equal. v

The'diaphragm 7, or its equivalent, being responsive to'a vacuum, the pressure of the superposed liquid or the combination of both, will move so as to alternately open and close the air valve and suction valve. I

The outer chamber is always open to the air through the air inlet 10.

It will beunderstood of course, that the tube 15 establishes constant communication above c and below the diaphragm in the vacuum chamber, so that atmospheric or vacuum conditions existing` in these two areas are alike or substantially alike.

That we claimis 1. A vacuum fuel feeding apparatus, comprising a liquid fuel receiving chamber, means to create a vacuum in said chamber and to break said vacuum, and a liquid fuel delivery chamber surrounding the receiving chamber, a valve arranged at the lower end of the receiving chamber and opening by hydrostatic pressure to establish communication between the two chambers, a liquid outlet from the delivery chamber, and a base on which these chambers are erected.

2. A vacuum fuel feeding apparatus, comprising a liquid fuel receiving chamber, means to create a vacuum in said chamber and to break said vacuum, and a liquid fuel delivery chamber surrounding the receiving chamber, a valve arranged at the lower end of the receiving chamber and opening by hydrostatic pressure to establish communication between the two chambers, a liquid outlet from the delivery chamber, an air tight cap for the receiving chamber and a separate cap for the delivery chamber, a liquid supply inlet, separate air inlets for the respective chambers, a base on which the chambers are erected, and a head attached to'the base and having means to connect with a suction pr ducing apparatus.

3. A vacuum fuel feeding apparatus, having a vacuum chamber and a surrounding liquid feeding chamber, and a. communicating element interposed between the two chambers, an air tight cap for the receiving chamber and a separate cap for the delivery chamber, a liquid supply inlet, separate air inlets for the two chambers, a base on which the chambers are erected, a head applied to said base and forming part of the vacuum chamber, and an element arranged in said vacuum chamber and responsive to variations in pressure.

4f. A vacuum fuel feeding apparatus, having a vacuum chamber4 and a surrounding liquid feeding chamber, a communicating element interposed between the two chambers, an air tight cap for the receiving chamber and a fitted cap for the delivery chamber, a liquid supply inlet, separate air inlets for the two chambers, a base on which the chambers are erected, a head" pplied to said base and forming part of the vacuum chamber and having a suction cennection, and a diaphragm supported in said vacuum chamber and provided with a tubeiopening communication between the upper and lower sections of the vacuum chamber on opposite sides of the diaphragm and provided with means to control the ai-r inlet and the suction connection of the vacuum chamber.

In a vacuum fuel feeding apparatus, a liquid feeding chamber and a liquid receiving chamber arranged within the former and communicating therewith, an air inlet for the liquid receiving chamber, a valve for opening and closing said inlet, a pressure responsive medium for operating said valve, and a spring acting against the valve and normally holding it closed against accidental movement of the pressure responsive medium.

6. In a vacuum fuel feeding apparatus, a liquid feeding chamber and a liquid receiving chamber arranged within the former and communicating therewith, an air inlet for the liquid receiving chamber, a valve for opening and closing said inlet, a carrier for the valve responsive to variations in pressure in the chambers, and a separate spring support for said valve weaker than the carrier.

'7. In a vacuum fuel feeding apparatus, a liquid feeding chamber and a liquid receiving chamber arranged within the former and communicating therewith, an air inlet for the liquid receiving chamber, a valve for opening and closing said inlet, a resilient diaphragm carrying the valve, and a separate spring support for the valve adapted to keep the valve tightly closed when the diaphragm sags slightly before operating.

8. In a. vacuum fuel feeding apparatus, a liquid feeding chamber and a liquid receiving chamber arranged within the former and communicating' therewith, a liquid inlet opening into said receiving chamber, a communicating tube arranged in said receiving chamber and provided near its upper end with lateral openings, and a baffle mounted on the tube below said openings. 4

9. A. vacuum fuel feeding apparatus, con prising an outer delivery chamber, a receiving chamber arranged within and surrounded circumferentially by said outer chamber, the chambers being closed at their bottoms, the outer chamber having a top closing cap and the inner chamber having a separate closing cap.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands this th day of February, A. D. 1924i.

HENRY A.. MILLER. ROBERT H. RHOADES. 

